Tag Archives: Jesus

I was on my way into work this morning, taking the time to talk to God about my day. I knew I wanted to write something for the blog but I couldn’t figure out what it would be. And then it came to me: write about the church and the Book of Revelation.

And I don’t just mean the ‘church’, as in the body of believers; I also mean the pulpit we all look to when the church is in the building.

I can’t help but think that many in the body and those in the pulpit are becoming like the church of the Laodiceans. Here is what Jesus had to say to John about the Laodiceans:

“And unto the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know they works; that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold not hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;(Revelation 3:14-17).

From what I can see from many of the preachers out there (I won’t name names) but they all seem to be preaching a ‘feel good’ message. They are more like motivational speakers.

And I think, by and large, that’s what the people want to hear. They don’t want to hear about their sins; they don’t want to hear a call to repentance; they don’t want to hear about hell being hot or about the road to is wide. For them, CERN is a new energy drink and Revelation is the newest store in the mall.

But these are the things that the body needs to hear. They need to know that they are sinners who are in need or repentance each and every day. l know that Jesus died for each and every sin I have committed or ever will commit but that doesn’t mean I have no need for repentance.

Why don’t more pastors preach about repentance and the coming end-times? I think it’s about numbers. It’s about how many people they can fit into the seats. What do you think would happen to the attendance of some of these mega church pastors if they started telling people that they are dirty sinners and are in need of repentance? I think half the place would be empty the following week.

They are neither not nor cold; they want to play it down the middle and make sure everyone feels just right. They are still feeding our fellow brothers and sisters milk when they should be giving them meat. You don’t get stronger on milk; you get stronger on meat.

I want to know about CERN; I want to know about the New World Order and the Illuminati. And I think that the church body, as a whole, needs to hear these things as well.

The end-times are upon us and, except for a few of us, the body is going to pretend it isn’t happening.

Jesus gave us signs to help us understanding the beginning of the end-times; wake up and look up because that’s where He’ll be coming from.

We are in the process of turning our partially finished attic into an office space so that I have a more comfortable place to work. The dining rooms table isn’t the best place to work for eight hours.

As part of our remodel, we are getting smaller bookshelves. As I’m building these shelves, a thought struck me: building a bookshelf (or anything, for that matter) is like building your faith.

The bookshelf came with a bunch of different parts: the sides, the bottom, the shelves, and all of the screws and camlocks you need to secure it all together.

Faith is very similar in this regard. Most of us have all the pieces we need: our Bible, study tools, online sermons, commentaries, prayer, etc. with Jesus as the camlocks that hold it all together.

But we have to start by putting all of the pieces together.

We have to read our Bibles and learn the scriptures; we need to employ and study tools or study guides (along with the greatest study guide the Holy Spirit) to guide us in our walk through the Bible. We have online teachers to help us as well. On a personal note, I really like the teachings of Dr. Chuck Missler. He is a great expositor and helps you see things in a completely different way while adhering to the true text of the Word.

So, if you ever feel like you are a bit lost putting all of it together (and who doesn’t?), just start by laying out everything you’ve got and open up the instruction manual (that would be your Bible) and get started!

When I’m saying it’s not easy at first (trust me, it’s not…been there, done that). But once you get going, the rewards are worth it. Start with a Bible plan or try reading a few chapters every day and use references as you go.

The eggs are laid carefully in small wicker baskets, carefully lined with plastic grass, a marshmallow chick carefully guarding each colored ovoid. You might even have a rather large chocolate rabbit sitting in box somewhere near the basket. I know I did. I used to bite the ears off first. Not sure why. Maybe to keep it from hearing me eat the rest of it over the next week?

We then get dressed in our finest clothes and make our way to church to celebrate the season.

This day isn’t about the eggs or the rabbit or Easter egg hunts. The true message that we should take away is this: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

That’s it. It couldn’t be more simple than that and yet there is so much more to it than that.

It’s about the love of a Father for his creation:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)

It’s about a Son willing to sacrifice Himself and His body for the sins of mankind:

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted, but He as wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6 NKJV)

He was tortured, brutalized, and hung on a tree to die as a common criminal, guilty of only one thing: taking the sins of the world onto Himself.

On this Easter Sunday, let’s make sure to thank God for the sacrifice of His Son for our sins and to Jesus for willing giving of Himself for the iniquities of us all. Those who believe on Him will share in His grace and forgiveness of our sins.

If you haven’t accepted Christ, there is no better time than now. Right now, as you read this. If you have ever wondered where you are going to go when you die, then make the choice to follow Christ and be assured of your eternal destination.

I will start this post by admitting that I was a big fan of ‘Ghost Hunters’ on the SyFy Channel. I would make sure I had the DVR set because I normally wouldn’t be able to catch in when it aired on Wednesday nights.

It was fun to watch the team walk through different sites and try to capture everything from actual physical manifestations to EVPs and the like. It kept me riveted to the TV for an hour (or more if I had shows that were backed up in the queue).

It wasn’t until I started learning more about this unseen realm that I realized it wasn’t all it seems to be.

Hunting ghosts and goblins would appear, on the outside, to be a harmless activity but the reality is that it’s anything but. Many years ago (before I was saved), I used to dabble in this sort of practice. Some friends of mine and I would gather together and seances and cast spells hoping to bring back a family member to speak with them.

Let me tell you, from firsthand experience, that’s not a good thing. When you start seeing shadow figures and hearing conversations when no one is around, you start to realize that what you’re doing is not going to end well.

God tells us explicitly that we are not to engage in this practice:

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of time, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord:…” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12 KJV)

Personally, I don’t believe that the dead are coming back to talk with us:

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.” (Hebrews 9:27 KJV)

I believe that what is coming into this realm is the demonic; the minions of Satan. They can learn and interact with us so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to believe that they can learn about deceased relatives and take on their shape as an apparition.

So when you see people on shows like ‘Ghost Hunters’, ‘Ghost Adventures’, ‘Ghost Brothers’, et. al., realize that they are, more than likely, speaking with demons.

I believe this to be part of the deception Jesus warns us about in Matthew 24. Unless the pastors out there confront this head-on with their congregations, then many in the body of Christ will be led down that path of deception.

Folks, we need to be prepared for what is to come. There are too many ‘let me tell you what you want to hear’ churches out there. This is only adding to the deception. Many are being fed the milk rather than the meat.

Whether I write an original blog or add to a story that’s already out there, I will do my best to get this information out to whomever is willing to read it.

But always know that we have our refuge in Jesus. Just call on him and believe and you shall be saved.

In the not-too-distant past, Moses led the Hebrews out of the land of Egypt and into freedom. He brought the descendants of Abraham, Issac and Jacob out of bondage and began leading them to the land God promised them: a land flowing with milk and honey.

But not long after being delivered from their Egyptian masters, they began to grumble and complain and remove God from their daily lives. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving God’s commandments, the people were rebelling against God and Moses. They began to worship a golden calf, acting more and more immoral. God saw this and was prepared to deliver His wrath but Moses pleaded with Him to spare their lives (see Exodus 32).

Are we becoming the stiff-necked people spoken of in Exodus 32? Have the people of this country started down the slippety slope towards complete immorality?

I believe this has been going on for years but, in my opinion, has begun to ramp up. More and more I see us putting away the God of the Bible and worshipping things like money, cars, sports, and Hollywood.

Many of the churches are now preaching a watered down gospel. Are they afraid of teaching the true gospel message because they don’t want people to leave and never come back? Should they be preaching about sin and repentance rather than money and prosperity? Yes! But with that message should also be a message about Jesus’ saving grace and His eternal love for us.

Along with the idols of material things, we are seeing the very moral fabric of this country tearing itself apart: gay marriage is now considered a right; nudity, sex and violence on TV are at an all-time high; some retailers are allowing anyone to,use the bathroom of their choice based on how they feel that day. And the list goes on.

Is there a way out? Absolutely! Turn from these 21st century idols and turn to Jesus. Ask for forgiveness and repent, before God removes His hand of protection from over our nation.

If He hasn’t done so already.

If you aren’t sure of where you are in this life or where to turn, give Jesus a try. Ask for forgiveness of your sins and ask Him to become Lord of your life. Then repent of those sins. Trust in Him and He will never let you down.

I had some trouble coming up with a title for this entry. I guess we tend to think that Satan will do big things to try and triumph over God. That’s not necessarily true.

I believe that Satan’s intent is to win people over to him and away from God. The more people he wins, the closer he thinks he will be to victory over God. Those of us who have read the Book of Revelation know how this all turns out but, nevertheless, Satan will still try.

And that is where I will start this story.

My wife and I spent an awesome two days in Cape May, NJ. Our son (he’s 23) called us while we were driving home this past Saturday to say that he wasn’t feeling well. By the time we got home, we needed to take him to the emergency room. He had a one hundred and two degree fever. My wife took him over while I unpacked and did some other things around the house. They got home a few hours later and he was fine. They gave him two bags of fluids and his temperature dropped to ninety-eight and they sent him home.

Right around three in the morning, he calls us from his bedroom to tell us he can’t stop shaking and he is cold. His fever is back up again and he’s in the bathroom getting sick. Back to the emergency room. His fever was up again. They ran some tests and found his white blood cell count was slightly elevated. More fluids and he came home again.

By Sunday, he was feeling pretty good and we started to make some plans for the day. That, however, didn’t last long. Back to the emergency room and, this time, he was admitted. Here is where we believe Satan had a hand in all of this.

Our son is an animator and illustration major in college. He graduated this year and his final project was drawings of the Four Horsemen, the Two Witnesses and the return of Jesus on the cloud. We were going to attend Sunday night to see the exhibit. The illustrations were phenomenal and, in my opinion, could be used as a great witnessing tool for anyone who wanted to know more about the content of the drawings.

A worship leader from our church came to the emergency room to visit and to pray with us. That’s when Josh told us all the story of what had happened.

He was feeling down and depressed Saturday; like he was not in touch with God. He wanted to cleanse his room and anoint it with oil. After he had done this, he started feeling sick. When my wife took him to the emergency room on Sunday for the third time, I decided that I was going to do some spiritual warfare and anoint his room. I started to get the prayers ready when my wife called and asked me to come to the hospital with a new pair of shoes. Her sandal strap broke. So much for the spiritual warfare.

The moral of the story? Satan is there at every turn, to thwart us in our quest to be closer to God. Be vigilant. He is there, just in the shadows, waiting to catch you if you trip. My advice is to stay in the Word of God and to pray. If there are any doors that are open, close them and then seal them with the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. Once the doors are closed and sealed and you are covered by the Blood of the Lamb, you are protected. Satan will never be God’s equal. He had to ask the Holy Father for permission to test Job. He has to do the same for us as well. And if it will not benefit us, then God simply tells Satan ‘Back off. He’s Mine and you don’t have permission to touch him.’

I have posted several things here related to Scripture, etc. but the one thing I never posted was my testimony. How I decided to become a follower of Jesus Christ.

I was born and raised in the Catholic church. I got caught up in what might be seen as the ceremony of the mass: the vestments, the shiny chalices, the ringing of the bells, the incense. It all seemed so cool and holy. I had been to many of the larger cathedrals and couldn’t help but marvel at their size and that they seemed to go so high that they could actually touch God (the Tower of Babel comes to mind and you can see how that worked out).

As I got older, I started to question a lot of things. I think it all started when I was in college. I was eating lunch on a Friday during Lent. I was eating an Italian hoagie and suddenly stopped when I realized I was eating meat. I made a comment about it and my friend (who was sitting across from me) said ‘Don’t worry about it. That’s a man-made rule.’ I’m not sure if that’s when I started thinking differently about my faith but the questions did eventually come.

I began to ask myself those questions that started to not make sense anymore: Why do we not eat meat on Fridays during Lent? Why do I confess my sins to someone who is a sinner? Why is it not okay to get a divorce but if you pay enough money to the church, then it’s okay? Church seemed to lose its feeling. You could go to just about any Catholic church and hear every prayer the same way. If you closed your eyes, you wouldn’t know the difference between your own church and anyone else’s.

Over time, the answer to those questions never came. I became less interested in church and went through the motions. I stopped going and wasn’t quite sure what to believe anymore. Right around the year 2003 or so, I became interested in the New Age movement.

I went all the way: Rune stones, tarot cards, candles, spells, meditation. I was into the whole thing. It seemed like a comfortable place. But that’s where Satan wants you. Someplace where you get a warm and fuzzy and you don’t want to leave. Now he can do what he pleases with you because you’re a willing participant. Trust me, he did. I started seeing shadow people and hearing voices when no one else was around and the TV was off.

Then I met my soon-to-be wife. When I was moving my stuff into her house, she saw the tarot cards and such and immediately said ‘Not in this house. Get rid of it.’ So I did. I felt I was losing a part of myself but thought losing her would be worse.

I started going to an Episcopal church with her but it just seemed to be the British version of the Catholic church. After a while, we both thought going to church was tedious and took up time on our Sunday so we stopped going altogether.

Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not bashing Catholicism or the Episcopal church. It just wasn’t for me anymore. I was looking for answers but couldn’t fine them.

Things changed in 2012 when my wife stumbled across the author L.A. Marzulli. He started talking about things such as the Nephilim and the Bible (he calls it The Guidebook to the Supernatural). It was then that our eyes started to open to the world around us: chemtrails, the Illuminati, etc. I think God was telling us that something was happening and something is coming and you better start paying attention.

That summer, I gave my life to Jesus and I haven’t looked back. I realize that all of the pomp and circumstance is unnecessary. As the Bible says in John 3:14-15:

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

That’s really all there is to it. Give your life to Jesus, believe in Him and be baptized by water and by the Spirit and you are saved. Be the disciples Jesus wants us to be. Bring others to salvation. No earthly reward can be greater than the reward that you will receive in Heaven.

And that’s my testimony. It’s a bit long but it’s a story I felt needed to be told. And feel God was prompting me to tell it. Our Christian walk isn’t an easy one but it’s worth it for sure.